Palmer Station in Antarctica. Photo: Christopher Michel/ Wikipedia Commons

Artel and SES Government Solutions have teamed with Leidos to deliver connectivity solutions to Palmer Station, a research facility in Antarctica that is operated by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The satellite-based service will serve as the primary backbone for sharing scientific research from the field to the United States Antarctic Program (USAP) data center located over 7,500 miles away in Centennial, Co.

Artel engineered the solution leveraging the C-band coverage provided by the SES-14 satellite, with backhaul from the SES Government Solutions Teleport in Bristow, Virginia, through terrestrial circuits also engineered by Artel. The data connection aims to ensure the reliable transfer of data for the scientific community, and for the station and penguin webcam live streams, which give the public a glimpse into Antarctica.  

“The Antarctic Treaty provides the framework for scientists from all over the world to peacefully come together and better understand our planet. We’re glad to follow suit and collaborate with our industry partners to provide crucial and resilient satellite connectivity to Palmer Station,” SES Government Solutions President and CEO Pete Hoene said.